Captured by the Elves Ch. 11

Note: All of the characters in this story are over the age of 18. The elves even more so. It does not represent any real people or groups. It is a fantasy. Any errors or omissions are my own. This is part eleven so you should know what you're in for by now. Look at the story tags. Enjoy.

Morning dawned and life was good. I knew that it shouldn't have been so. There were so many things against us, but after a night of marital bliss it was difficult to not feel confident in some way. The human army remained with all of its threat. Katania was still wheezing in her sick bed. Yet I craved the positivity. I needed it. I also needed to chew the bitter leaves after waking. My knee was painfully stiff in the morning chill. Even braced it was cracking repeatedly as I moved it.

I told myself to toughen up. There were others that had it so much worse than I. Katania wheezed in her corner. Braith told me to check on her whenever I could. She expected Katania to be passing soon. I told her that I didn't know what to say or do. I asked her.

Braith said, "These are usually the most difficult times in our life. Making a hard choice isn't easy by far, but not knowing...I knew physicians who drank themselves to death after years of not knowing."

I looked over at Katania and was silent. Fortunately, there was plenty of work to do. Many elves had been injured since I'd been gone, and of that number many of those injuries had come from the rescue attempts on my behalf. Painful knee or not, I was determined to do my part. Most of the serious injuries from before had begun to heal, and those elves had left the triage. Other injuries were more numerous, but the ladies of the settlement were proud and they were also highly motivated. They received basic care and then went back out.

Still, there was work to be done. I tried to detect any uncertainty that people had about me. Katania's words had left their mark, but people were either too polite or too concentrated on other things to make this apparent to me. The tension was high though. There was an unspoken rule to remain as quiet as possible. The elves figured that the humans already knew where we were, but they wanted to hear any approach

I'd gone out from the bathhouse to retrieve some more water for the wounded. We normally had more than enough water in storage with the baths, but in treating the women we'd burned through most it. Braith demanded boiling water when treating injuries. I still didn't understand why.

It was on my third trip to get water that Raina stepped out in front of me. The tall brunette looked much different than when I'd last seen her. The wounds that she'd suffered during the attack in the forest had been bandaged for some time, and the bandages were as dirty as she was. Despite this, Raina moved with the coiled strength of a mountain lion. Previously, her brunette hair had been longer and more lady-like than my own, but now it was ragged like she'd been hacking at it with a knife. It was also caked with dirt, oil, and who knew what else. She now carried a sword on a belt and wore a pair of ruined breeches stolen off of a dead man. They were so soaked with dried blood that they looked crunchy. There was no knowing how many men she'd killed by then.

She said, "Kiari, the elf girl. Here you are again."

Her eyes were keen. They focused in on me like a predator.

"Are you well, Raina?"

"No," she said. "My name is Brendan. Don't try to confuse me."

"If you follow me to the bathhouse then maybe Braith can help you. You could sleep."

"I know what you do at the bathhouse. I don't need to get fucked or sucked. I need to go home."

"This is home," I said. "You need to rest. Braith can help you."

"I don't trust your new wife and neither should you."

That struck home with me. "What do you mean by that?" I asked her.

Raina shook her head at me in judgement. She said, "Everyone here knows about it except you. It's sad."

"What are you babbling about?"

Raina laughed. "The girl that you're named after."

"She died," I said.

"Is that what she told you? Likely as not she's dead by now, but not the way that your bitch wife told you. People feel sorry for you, Kiari."

"Shut up!"

"Don't get mad now." She reached up and pinched one of my nipples through my tunic. Raina said, "You're a cute, little creature. Being angry doesn't become you."

I reeled away from Raina, and threw the water—bucket included at her. She dodged it with ease, and laughed at me.

"You'd better get more water," she said. "Your mistress might get angry if you don't."

She was right in her own way. I had responsibilities to fulfill, and I shouldn't have been wasting my time with someone whom everyone believed was crazy. I grabbed up my bucket. I said, "I can't believe that you were my friend." Then I stormed away from her.

Of course, I told myself that she was lying. She had to be lying. Braith wasn't being false with me. There was no way that she would do that. Braith loved me too much to lie.

I walked away, but the seed of doubt had been planted in very fertile soil. There was no avoiding that. I went back to work. Pretending that it wasn't true. I was so desperate to believe in that.

At midday we received s group of the northern girls. I was ready and willing for what I thought they wanted. The mead was gone, but a hot bath and some "special care" could go a long way to help the morale. The northern girls with their many tattoos looked at me with such excitement.

"We promised you that we'd be ready," said one of them. "We are now."

The others nodded. They had an assortment of tools made of wood and bone in their hands and a few jars containing dark fluid. I knew what it meant, but I stood there waiting for someone to actually tell me. Finally, Braith came up behind me, and patted me on my plump ass.

"Oh, they're here already," she said.

I looked at her, uncertain of what to do.

Braith smiled. "No backing out now, my love. The girls here are ready to honor us. We can't leave them waiting."

I took a breath. "Well," I said. "I did agree."

I would come to appreciate the process much later on. In my experience: tattoos were something that sailors who went to the far east and distant shores got. The army did have its own tradition of tattooing rank upon members, but this wasn't something that conscripts like I encountered. I was in for something totally new with Braith.

The first part was easy: strip naked. Well, I had plenty of experience in doing that. Taking off my simple tunic didn't bother me in the slightest. The oddest part was the look that Braith gave me as seeing my eagerness to do so.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said, smiling. "My wife has no problem getting naked."

"Mostly because of you."

"Is that so?"

I eyed her. Then I understood. I laughed, and then made a dramatic show of leaning forward to kiss her. The northern girls liked this. They promised that the markings would bind Braith and I together for all time. That was a promise that we truly did appreciate back then. We have such romantic notions of time and love in our youth.

The process was only somewhat known to me. My parents made it a point to learn almost every human activity and how to make money off of it. Yet, that was so not enough. Before they began, I had to remove the necklace with the copper star on it. These particular elves seemed very nervous about the symbol, so I put it away to make things easier for them. A northern girl with tiny hands drew with a piece of charcoal atop my chest between my shoulders. This went all along my collarbone. She apologized. "This may hurt," she said.

Another northern woman held two sticks. One was curved and had a bone needle held in place at the end. The other was a flat stick that she would smack the top of the curved one with. I didn't think that this would do anything. I was wrong. Those little taps of wood on wood became a battle. I was going to cry out the moment the needle hit the skin above my collarbone, but Braith gave me a look that said "Don't you dare", so I did not. My beautiful wife watched intently as the northern girls inked me. The girl with the small hands was already drawing the designs on her. It was quite the process. I was concerned the first couple of times they used a rag to wipe away trace amounts of blood, but as it went on it wasn't so bad. In fact, there was something oddly purifying and therapeutic about that sort of pain.

After some time, I began to make out what the girls were putting onto my body. It was a collection of stylized vines integrated with symbols that I wouldn't comprehend until years later. This was a far modest design compared to what the norther girls had. In fact, they had originally intended to cover much more of my body, but Braith had talked them down to something simpler.

One of the northern girls, Meryl, took time to explain. She said, "The vines entwine you and Braith forever. No matter what happens. We also include a blessing from the goddess. We haven't seen anyone married for a long time. This is very special."

I thought that Meryl was something special. A taller woman with a rather full figure compared to some of the other northern girls who were a lithe bunch. I had no idea that someone else was going to take a liking to her as well. Life becomes so strange the longer it goes on.

The girls finished up with me, and then moved on to Braith. I did enjoy seeing my wife pretend that it didn't hurt. We were a matching set when our new friends were done with us. Afterwards, they applied a cooling salve to the raw tattooed skin and we were marked for the rest of our lives after that.

"It wasn't that bad," said Braith. "Though having this on me from now on it a little strange."

"It looks good on you," I said.

"Does it make me beautiful?"

"You are always beautiful to me," I said.

Braith smiled and kissed me. "We just need to make it through this, Kiari. We can do this."

My wife was so brave then. So comforting. I loved her for it. However, she didn't know. Not then.

It was later that the news came down. The she-elves had pushed on the human encampment. Likely they hoped that a sudden vicious attack would strain the already hard-pressed men into breaking. It hadn't gone well for the elves. Now many were injured and worse some were now missing.

I blamed myself. As foolish as it was to do so. That's how I felt.

I helped Braith tend to the she-elves that returned. The injuries were becoming worse. It could see the strain on Braith as she struggled to help them. I was there with her. Our hands covered in blood. I gave the patients a piece of leather to bite down on as Braith did her work. The bitter leaves could do little to treat such sharp pain. It was difficult to see and something entirely else to participate in. Seeing other people struggling with terrible pain was a far worse thing than my own pain had been. The desperation and the despair on their faces. I wanted to bite down on the piece of leather myself.

There was an odd stillness afterward. Most of the patients had gone back to their normal abodes and the rest would be staying in our triage area trying to sleep. Some whimpered in pain, but tried not to be noticed. I didn't believe that I'd be able to sleep then. I found Delphi's necklace with the copper star and put it back on. It hurt when it rested against my fresh tattoo, but somehow it comforted me.

Braith had taken to sitting outside the front door in the cool evening air. On that particular night, she'd taken the bottle of green liquor with her. I didn't like her drinking so much. She knew this so she hadn't invited me over to drink with her. She likely believed that I'd joined the others in sleep. We were all so very tired. Ericka and Danica had taken to hanging out with the other newly converted girls and she was staying with them for the night. I was glad that they had the distraction.

I watched Braith drink for a while. People were talking. It wasn't looking so good for us. She was my wife though. I had to be there for her. I went outside into the crisp cool air and sat down beside her. Above us there was a gap in the forest canopy. I could see the heavens above us: their swirling colors rendered unto the ever-lasting black of the night. The stars were out in force in all their complex glory. Betwixt them a haze of deep blues and violets that threatened to draw my keen elf eyes into the infinite.

If only we had peace, I thought. Just experiencing the world as one of the she-elves was such a wonder.

"I know what you're going to say," said Braith. "Don't worry. I'll have no choice but to stop drinking once this is gone. You see? Problem solved."

I could've pushed her on that, but in that moment, I knew that it wasn't the productive action to take.

I said, "I'll need to spend the morning making more bandages."

"Cloth is running out."

"Alternatives?"

"Medicine is running out too. Likely water as well."

"We can get more."

She drank and shook her head. "The well hasn't had to support so many for so long. The streams and the river are dangerous to get to. So many of the girls are injured now. They're brave and we heal fast as elves, but still, we can't take this."

"I don't understand. Collins' position seemed to be on the decline."

Braith said, "I'm told that the humans are showing greater resolve than before. Maybe something changed."

I racked my brain trying to determine what that could be. To now avail. I could imagine how. I cursed myself for failing.

I took the bottle from Braith, and took a pull of the intense green liquor for myself. I just didn't know what to do or what to say. When the bottle was nearly done, we helped each other up and stumbled inside towards our bed. Neither of us could take anymore and we were forced to finally sleep. Finding at least some comfort in each other's arms.

My dreams were a torture to endure, and they were so nebulous that I could scarcely make sense of them to dwell and analyze their meaning. In short: it was highly disturbing and cancelled out any sense of rest that I could hope to gain. I had sobered up by then so there was no benefit of the drinking putting me to sleep.

I finally managed to doze towards the end. The sun was trickling down into the forest below. First, just a promise of the day to come, and then it began to chase some of the chill away. The birds settled into their daytime chorus and were joined once again by the noise of the daytime insects. Despite all of our hardships, the forest was teeming with life. We were far from alone in our daily struggle.

Braith was snoring beside me. At first, I was fearful l that I would wake her prematurely. Our healer needed rest after all. However, my concerns were unwarranted. She was out in a hard way. I wanted to leave her be. Any rest she might get could make the difference in saving someone's life. That was well worth some snoring.

I married a real physician, I thought. Maybe my parents would be proud. They were people that could recognize the positives in almost anything. Merchants had to be that way. In a strange manner they might have appreciated my choice. I had my own physician now, and she was in the process of training me.

I decided to rise and leave Braith to her rest. It was odd. She normally rose so early, and would be the one forcing me to the leave the bed in order to start our work sooner. I wanted her to sleep. I didn't neglect my duties though. I checked on all of our patients. I brought them water, changed their bandages, and gave them more of the bitter leaves to chew. Even Katania in her wrecked state, somehow, she managed to drink water.

Looking at her though: it was clear. We couldn't outlast Collins. He and his men only had to stay the course and that would be enough. They would win by default. It was a damning conclusion to make. Yet I had to acknowledge that in order to be honest with myself. I couldn't lose sight of that. The more than I thought about it the more that I struggled. I broke my fast on leftover flat bread. What we had was staler than usual. I also found a jam made from the purple fruit. I ate just enough to tide me over. Knowing that there would be less food later on.

It was quiet out in the settlement. A few elves stirred: beginning their morning routines. The guards on the walls were replaced with rested ones. I saw Rowan and her new band of followers covering themselves with mud and woven plant matter. She went out day after day to scout the area and quietly pick off any human stragglers. I wondered if at this time she and her sisters were looking for an escape route. Khaliman and the mundane elves were making their way out. It had to be possible. But would the she-elves be willing to abandon their home?

I doubted that.

I didn't know what to do. Katania would likely die soon and any plan that I had of negotiating with Collins was based on being able to give him what he wanted. Even Braith couldn't help her. It would take a miracle.

"What would you give?" asked a voice that I knew, but I couldn't place. I looked all around me. No one was there. It was just like what had happened out in the forest. Was it my fear and desperation getting to me or was I going mad like Raina seemed to be?

"Why don't you find out?"

"How?" I felt foolish asking my imagination a question. I'd always considered myself to be together and not prone to strange fancies.

"What about now?"

I was on the verge of tears. I just wanted things to be better. The way that they were.

"Come find me", the voice said. "You know where."

I walked out of the bathhouse in a daze. One of the elves said something to me as I walked by, but my mind was far away then. I needed to tell that voice that it was a waste of time. The she-elves and I were doomed. That's all there was to it. The cool air felt so nice on my exposed skin. I wore a short tunic and nothing else. Odd, I suppose. Though honestly: I had gotten used to it back in the days when I'd been a prisoner. Did anyone really notice? Would they find it strange? No one stopped me as a continued forward on uncertain feet. Yet still I was compelled by a strange sense of determination. The air seemed clearer. As if the fires of the humans had been diminished. Above the settlement, a hazy layer of thick mist hung up by the canopy of the great forest. I wondered if it would rain, but kept walking regardless. At first, I had no idea where I was going, but eventually I understood. Finally, after several minutes of dazed traveling I entered the clearing surrounded the great tree.

In the time that I'd been there much had happened before the tree. Braith told me that sometimes the she-elves would neglect its importance and leave the area surrounding it to the chaotic growth of nature. However, in times of great hardship the she-elves returned to the fundamentals of their beliefs. I understood this. I'd seen it back home in my own far-flung town. Drought, famines, pestilence, and war were superb catalysts and that made sense. I'd seen the power of non-believing town-counselors crumble when they had nothing to offer the people but their same old promises. In desperation people wanted more.

The area around the tree was clear and near pristine. Only a delicate ground cover led up to the small pond and the great tree. The tree had more of the pretty blue flowers on it than I'd ever seen during my time among the elves. There was no one there. I'd heard that many of the visiting she-elves prayed at the tree every day. I'd done so as well at Delphi's funeral. Did I understand the religion or the goddess that it was devoted to?

I didn't know why but there was something that compelled me to go forward. I knelt before the tree. I prayed: Angelanhala, I don't understand much of this. My time among the she-elves has been short. Are you trying to communicate with me? Are you the voice? Please, help me. I don't understand.